Church Update

Church Clarifies Vaping, Lattes, and Recreational Use of Marijuana as Against the Word of Wisdom

The following is excerpted from the Daily Herald. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has clarified some modern questions revolving around the church’s Word of Wisdom doctrine.

In the August 2019 edition of New Era — the church magazine for its youth — a modern list of what not to ingest has been added or clarified as pertaining to the Word of Wisdom.

The magazine, approved by the First Presidency of the church, identifies vaping or e-cigarettes as against the Word of Wisdom.

“Electronic vaporizers or e-cigarettes are devices people use to inhale mist, usually with various flavors,” the magazine stated. “One study showed that nearly two-thirds of teen e-cigarette users thought that the pods they were vaping contained only flavoring. That’s way, way far from the truth. Most vaping pods contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and all of them contain harmful chemicals. Vaping is clearly against the Word of Wisdom.”

The topics page on the church’s resource link defines the Word of Wisdom as a pattern for a healthy lifestyle.

“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are known for their healthy lifestyles. A health plan for the Church was first written down in 1833 by President Joseph Smith, and he presented it to early members specifically as a revelation from God,” the website said. “Today, Latter-day Saints refer to these health guidelines as ‘the Word of Wisdom’ (Doctrine and Covenants 89, approved modern scripture of the church).”

Among the provisions of the health code designated in the Word of Wisdom are no alcoholic drinks, no smoking or chewing of tobacco and no “hot drinks” — believed to refer specifically to tea and coffee.

So in addition to vaping or e-cigarettes, there are other modern and popular drinks that the church leadership says are enticing youth.

AlbertAugust 20, 2019

Even if the vaping liquids do not contain nicotine, two factors to consider are: 1) the influences of someone vaping on younger, impressionable acquaintances, and 2) the physical effects of second hand vapor on anyone who is nearby.

kathy bergevinAugust 18, 2019

I agree that not all e-cigarettes contain nicotine, however, one is injesting vapor. A mist. Ligquid into their lungs. The medical field and dental field has reported over and over again that the application of liquid into the lungs over a period of time can become a health hazard to the lungs.